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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: board · branch · wind · hand · season · squash · pass · safe

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. board — to get on
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. season — in sport
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — a division
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. season — of the year
  12. squash — the sport
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. hand — help
  15. board — a committee
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. pass — a permit
  19. hand — in cards
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. wind — moving air
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. squash — to crush
  24. pass — to spend time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com